SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Myrle 16: Yep. Thanks. Well, keep on reading.

Thugalet: Yep. Most definitely.

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. Some concepts belong to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I only own the plot.

After her outburst, Casey huffed and crossed her arms. Adam stared at her as Lucas finally came downstairs.

"Hey Pretty Girl, you okay?" he questioned.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Hot Boy," she assured.

"Hot Boy. Wow I missed that," he grinned.

"So, uh, you played hockey, huh?" George asked as Nora went to start dinner.

"Yes, Sir, I did," Casey answered.

"Yeah, she really flew," Adam said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, from the time she was little, she was training very hard to get into the Good Will Games," Lucas added.

"And then she was attacked last year or something?" Derek questioned, recalling what she had shouted at the coach. Casey blew out a breath.

"It was the second to last game of the season; it was our team---the Cougars---against the Kings. It was the third period with at least five more minutes on the clock." As Casey talked, her mind flashed back to the game. Casey moved swiftly on the ice as the puck moved back and forth.Lucas called for the puck.After it was passed to him, he shot it to the other net. A member of the opposing team blocked it and started for the other side. Casey stopped him and began to shoot. Suddenly, she felt something strike her knee. With a cry of pain, she fell to the ground. The hockey stick came down again and again. Painfully, she began to climb to her feet only to be pinned down. She cried out in pain as the hockey stick was repeatedly slammed down on her knee. Then, without warning, the two players holding her were yanked back, and her attacker was shoved. Casey writhed on the floor, and moaned in pain. A whistle blew shrilly.

"Cougars! Intent to injure!" the referee shouted.

"You're seriously just now blowing the whistle?!" Greg snapped.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Don't move. Just lay still, Pretty Girl," Lucas said, taking a knee and steadying her.

"Hurts," Casey whimpered.

"Yeah, I bet it does," Lucas sympathized,smoothing back her hair. The team medics came out.

"All right. Let's get her on a stretcher. Easy now," one said. Carefully, they lifted her up and she was led out.

"You can expect a call from our lawyer," Charlie hissed at the referee. With that, the whole team headed out.

"When I got to the hospital, they told me that my knee had been completely shattered. And that I would never walk on it again," Casey finished.

"Man, that's brutal," Derek said.

"Did your coaches really sue?" Edwin asked.

"You can bet we did," Adam answered hotly. "She's violently attacked and they didn't even do anything until the team came to her defense."

"So, uh, the other day, when you were dancing---" Derek began.

"I overexerted my knee, yes," Casey finished.

"How does that happen exactly?" Edwin wondered.

"They did surgery on my knee and if I do anything too strenuous, the bones scrap together," Casey explained.

"That sounds painful," Marti noted.

"It is," Casey confirmed.

"But wait, you're on the cheer squad," Derek interjected.

"Yeah. How can you cheerlead if you have a bad knee?" Emily added. Lucas coughed, trying to hide a laugh.

"The cheer squad? Seriously?" he queried.

"Yes, seriously," Casey responded, fixing him with a look. Then, "In case you guys have forgotten, I don't ever do the more active moves."

"Well, yeah, that's true," Emily said.

"Wow. I guess that explains a lot," Derek commented. "I mean, how you've always been so touchy when it comes to hockey, why you only do slow dances, stuff like that," he continued.

"Yeah, well, what can I say? It hurts---knowing that I can never get it back," she admitted softly.

"I can't even imagine," he said with a shake of his head.

"Oh, by the way, for real this time, congratulations. It's a real honor to be on Team USA," she said.

"Thanks. I know."

"Okay, dinner's ready," Nora announced. "Adam, Emily, Lucas, are you guys staying?" she asked.

"Sure," Lucas and Adam chorused.

"No. It's meatloaf night," Emily answered, and then left as the others sat down at the table.

"Derek, I promise we'll go out for a proper celebration later in the week," Nora stated.

"Chillax. No big deal," Derek shrugged.

"Dude, it is so a big deal. Team USA. Oh, you've gotta intensify your training," Casey told him.

"Uh-oh. The Hammer's returning," Lucas joked with a laugh. "Dude, be afraid. Be very afraid."

"What? Of Space-Case? Yeah, right."

"No, he's right. Casey was a bear when she was in training." They continued to talk. As they did so, Casey put her hand under the table and Lucas did the same, and they intertwined their fingers. The two smiled at each other as they listened to the chatter of the family.